Mixed Berry Pavlova

I probably should have mentioned that with all those eggwhites leftover from the Eclairs, Jeremy and I thought we should put them to good use and make a Pavlova. If truth be told, Jeremy made the pavlova on his own while I fiddled around with the eclairs... but it was a midnight triumph! And a great way to enjoy the last of the summer berries


Mixed Berry Pavlova

From Ina Garten's recipe

• 4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Sweetened Whipped Cream, recipe follows
• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries
• Triple Raspberry Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.


Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!
Yield: 1 cup

Triple Raspberry Sauce

• 1 half-pint fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam (12-ounce jar)
• 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur

Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.
Yield: 2 cups

Jeremy and I were nice enough to share this with my brother who had to stop mid-way through his first bite and ask: "What is this called again?" A pav-loh-va- why? "This is definitely in my top ten of all time. Why didn't I ever think of this combination before? It's so obviously perfect." And I'll drive the point home by saying that my brother is a bit of a picky eater- even with desserts.